Sydney-based designer Jeremy Hershan launched his label Haulier in 2020 with one product: a simple, all-purpose tote. The Utility tote remains the heart of the Haulier line, which has grown to include a unisex ready-to-wear clothing collection of button-ups, smart blazers and sporty-chic shorts.
Hershan’s CV is packed with years of experience at luxury fashion brands, including a stint at London’s Savile Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes before landing the role of creative director at classic Aussie brand RM Williams.
Now almost four years since its launch, Haulier has won the National Design Award, one of Australia’s most established and prestigious fashion prizes.
Hershan was presented with the award – which is open to designers in their first five years of business – at Melbourne Fashion Festival (MFF) on March 7. “It was genuine when I walked up there looking a bit shocked,” Hershan tells Broadsheet minutes after accepting the prize. “It was a few weeks of anticipation, but I guess many years of work beforehand that had led up to this moment.”
Awarded for its “clear vision, considered design and sophisticated approach to brand and business”, according to Paypal Melbourne Fashion Festival CEO Caroline Ralphsmith, Haulier received a prize worth $130,000, including $20,000 cash along with other business support.
Hershan ran against five other finalists: Alix Higgins, Ikuntji Artists, Iordanes Spyridon Gogos, Clea and THDR. Jordan Gogos of Iordanes Spyridon Gogos was awarded the Honourable Mention for Sustainability, receiving a $10,000 prize and mentorship with David Jones, which presents the award. And Natasha Gordon, the designer behind Clea, was presented with the People’s Choice award, voted by the public.
The National Design Award aims to celebrate and launch the next big thing in the Australian fashion stratosphere. And if past winners are anything to go by – they include Dion Lee, Toni Maticevski and Alemais – big things are in store for Haulier.
In a short period of time, the label has come to be known for its high-quality production and elevated take on everyday silhouettes. Haulier manufactures its collection in Europe, and uses a ’60s loom from Portugal to weave its signature made-to-last fabric.
“For me, great manufacturing is still in Europe, so I wanted to bring that level of quality back to the Australian market, and really encourage that sort of buy less, buy better philosophy,” Hershan says.
Woven into the brand’s DNA is a timeless European sensibility fused with laid-back Australian tailoring. This season’s collection takes references from sportswear and military cuts, as well as postcards of celebrities travelling in the ’70s. Denim jackets, chambray shirts and retro short-shorts join a new crop of Utility totes made with leather (from the France’s Basque region) for the first time.
Hershan says he’ll be investing the prize money into building Haulier’s presence in the Australian fashion landscape, following the launch of his first flagship boutique in Paddington in 2022. “I think that will really help us in terms of working on new marketing initiatives and building our audience in our backyards.”
